Your Winter
by suzy5
Summary: A song fic describing Martin's Feelings


_I do not own Seventh Heaven or any characters._

_Your Winter_

It had been two weeks after Sandy had told Simon that Aaron was his baby and not Martin's. Martin had decided that he would stay away from the Camden family until the shock wore off. He packed his bags and went home and made sure that no one knew he was back.

He spent two long weeks waiting until he couldn't take it any longer and decided that he would just show up and go from there.

Walking up to the back door he knocked, something he hadn't done in a while. He didn't even notice the person who opened the door until he looked up. " Sandy "

"Martin! Hi, how are you?"

"I'm fine, how are you?" he said slightly uncomfortable and embarrassed. He still wasn't sure why Sandy had never told him that Simon might have been Aaron's dad.

"I'm doing okay" she said smiling slightly before taking a deep breath and saying "Look I'm sorry about.." but he cut her off "That's okay. I never should have slept with someone I didn't know or even care about"

Sandy took a deep breath as she tried to mask the hurt in her eyes. She was truly sorry about lying to Martin and though she was happy that Simon was Aaron's dad, she still liked Martin. She had hoped he did as well, though it seemed as he just classified her and her baby a colossal mistake in his life.

"Where is everyone?" he finally asked noticing the house was slightly quiet.

"They all went for ice cream"

"Why didn't you go?" he asked as she shrugged and said "I don't know, I thought that maybe the Camden's just wanted some time together as a family with Aaron"

"Well you will be a part of their family soon"

"I know and I'm really grateful. I just needed some time alone"

"Oh" he replied taking a seat and thinking what to do.

"So what's in your hand?" she finally asked as she saw him finger a CD case.

"It's nothing" he said quickly before running his fingers through his short black hair and sighing "It's for Ruthie"

"Oh" Sandy replied, a hint of a smile in her voice.

"I just want her back" he said finally as he blushed before correcting himself "As my friend, I miss her"

"Well she misses you as well" Sandy replied before tilting her head to the side "I hear them coming"

Sure enough there were the Camden's walking back, Annie and Eric holding hands, Sam and David running around, Lucy and Kevin smiling at Savannah who was trying to keep up with the twins and Simon holding Aaron to him.

At that moment Annie spotted him and cried out "Martin! When did you get home? How was the semester?" not even waiting for him to respond she gave him a big hug as Eric did the same.

He blushed slightly before saying "It was really good, my grades are good and we had a good year with the team"

"Great" Eric replied as Lucy and Kevin stepped forward to greet Martin as well and he picked Savannah up kissing her chubby cheek.

Sam and David came running up "Are you home for good?"

"For the summer and then we'll see what happens" he replied as Annie and Eric exchanged glances.

Lucy smirked, waiting for Martin to ask the question she knew was on his mind. She wondered how long he was going to take to ask about Ruthie? Poor Martin, so confused and worried and now there was nothing in his way to stop him from taking what he most desired, well except for her parents.

As she looked at them she wondered how much they knew and if they would make it easier on Ruthie when she finally asked permission to date Martin. This would be a big step for them both.

"So..um.. you seem to be missing someone" Martin feebly said as Kevin laughed out loud at him before Lucy jabbed him in the stomach.

"Well Sandy and Happy are inside" Annie remarked calmly as she watched the young man blush deep red before he cleared his throat and asked "Where's" and at that moment his world stopped.

In walked Ruthie Camden laughing hilariously at something the guy next to her said. The guy was tall, not as tall as him so he could definitely take him, and he had brown hair that was screaming for a hair cut.

Who the hell was this punk and what was he doing holding her hand? His fingers unknowingly clenched around the CD he was holding as he took a step towards them and stopped.

When had she gotten taller and why was her hair so bright and why was it straight? He hated it straight.

Ruthie had just turned her head away from Paul when she literally ran into Martin.

"Hi" he said sheepishly as she looked up at him stunned. _When had he gotten here?_

"Hi" she replied quietly as she noticed her usual noisy family had quieted down considerably while still pretending not to listen in.

"Ruthie? Are we still getting that apple pie you promised me?" Paul asked her as he came up to stand next to her.

"Sure" she replied not even looking at him.

"Martin" he finally said as he stuck his hand out in greeting as Paul took it and said "Paul"

"I just bought this over for you to listen and then I thought we could talk"

"About?" Ruthie asked

"Everything" he said shortly as he placed the CD in her hand.

She looked at it and said "Okay" as she walked over to the CD player on the picnic table.

"What are you doing?" he asked her slightly panicked. It was one thing to spill his guts to Ruthie, it was something totally different to do it in front of her entire family.

"I'm going to play this CD, like you wanted me to" she replied as she looked at him, slightly exasperated.

"I envisioned you doing this somewhere more private" he finally admitted as she laughed and replied "Well I seem to remember last Thanksgiving when I humiliated myself in front of you and the entire family. Payback's a b..."

"Ruthie" Eric called out, a warning evident in his tone. Ruthie rolled her eyes slightly before pressing play and inviting Paul to sit next to her.

Martin watched in horror as the music began playing

_Grey ceiling on the earth  
Well it's lasted for a while  
Take my thoughts for what they're worth  
I've been acting like a child  
And your opinion, what is that?  
It's just a different point of view _

What else, what else can I do?  
I said I'm sorry, yeah I'm sorry  
I said I'm sorry but what for?  
If I hurt you then I hate myself

Ruthie looked over at Martin, her face blank as she got up and started pacing slightly and Martin watched her before closing his eyes. If she was reacting to this part how would she take the next line?

_I don't wanna hate myself, don't wanna hurt you  
Why do you choose your pain?  
If you only knew how much _

_I love you, love you._

She paused and quickly got up, pressing stop on the player as Sam and David cried out "It was getting to the good part" she looked at them and her entire family before pursing her lips and saying "Shows over"

She then took the CD out of the player and slipped it in her pocket before looking at Martin "I'll see you tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m."

"You want me to wait a whole day?' he asked her in disbelief before continuing "I've been waiting for the past two weeks"

"And I have been waiting for the past _two years_, so yes I want you to wait a whole day"

Martin sighed heavily before walking out the back yard and going home.

Ruthie watched him go before looking at Paul and saying "How about that apple pie?" and with that walked into the house, Paul following close behind.

The rest of the Camden family looked at one another in disbelief. Kevin finally broke the silence by saying "Did he just admit he loved her?"

"I think so" Simon said sighing heavily as Sandy took Aaron from him and then asked "Is that a bad thing?"

"No, it's not. It's just once they start dating this is it." Eric said sadly as he watched his little girl give Paul a slice of his favorite dessert.

"What do you mean?" she asked again obviously confused.

"Martin and Ruthie are going to get married some day and the sooner they end up dating, the sooner it will happen"

"You really think so?" she asked finally as everyone nodded solemnly.

"So are you going to forbid it?"

Annie snorted loudly and said "I wouldn't dream of it. It was enough of a headache when Ruth finally admitted to being in love with him but now that he is stating it as well? There is no way I am living in the same house with her if we tell her no"

"I suppose you are right" Eric admitted before sighing again.

Later that evening, Ruth was upstairs putting away her laundry when she heard a knock on her door. It was Lucy.

"Hi" Lucy said as she stepped inside.

"Hi" Ruthie replied as she looked at her curiously. Lucy then sighed and said "Okay, I want to hear the rest of the song. You don't mind do you?"

Ruth smiled and shook her head before confessing "I'm glad you came up. I haven't listened to it because I'm half afraid I'm still dreaming and I'll wake up tomorrow alone"

"So you and Paul?"

"Pretty much over. He said he knew it the moment Martin shook his hand"

"Well you didn't really like him right?"

"No but he was fun to hang out with and since I am leaving for Scotland in three days I figured I needed someone around so I wouldn't think of.."

"Of Martin?" Lucy asked as she nodded slightly, the tears falling.

"Ruthie? If you and Martin end up together you are still going to Scotland right?"

"Yes I am" she replied as she wiped the tears from her face and the sighed "but Martin loves me like a sister"

"That's not the vibe I was getting" Lucy replied before saying "Let's just listen to the song and then decide"

"Okay" she replied before pressing play.

_Well I won't be your winter  
I won't be anyone's excuse to cry  
We can be forgiven, oh yeah  
And I will be here _

Old picture on the shelf  
Well it's been there for a while  
A frozen image of ourselves  
We were acting like a child  
Innocent and in a trance  
A dance that lasted for a while

_  
You read my eyes just like your diary  
Oh remember, please remember  
Well I'm not a beggar but what's more  
If I hurt you then I hate myself  
I don't want to hate myself, don't want to hurt you  
Why do you choose that pain?  
If only you knew how much I love you, love you_

_Well I won't be your winter  
I won't be anyone's excuse to cry  
We can be forgiven, oh yeah  
And I will be here_

_Meanwhile_

"So why are you here instead of over at the Camden 's?" Martin's dad asked Martin once more.

"Because she told me that she would see me tomorrow morning"

"Oh" he replied smiling before saying "So now, Ruthie is the only reason you visit the Camden 's?"

"She has pretty much been my only reason for going over there" Martin confessed moodily as he crossed his arms in front of his chest, starting at the TV screen.

"Would you like to go out somewhere?"

"So I can see millions of people on a date having fun? Thanks but no thanks" was the response he got.

"Well I'm going out for a while. I'll see you later" Mr. Brewer finally said as he walked out, hoping that tomorrow Ruthie would put his son out of his misery. He wouldn't be able to handle another night of this.

_Ruthie's Room_

"So?" Lucy asked her younger sister as she tried to hold back her own tears. The song that Martin had picked was beautiful and it confirmed all her suspicions about Martin finally being able to admit how in love he was with Ruthie.

"Well he could mean love as in I love you like my sister" Ruthie finally blurted out, the pain evident in her tone as she sniffled.

"The best way to find out is to ask him" Lucy suggested as Ruthie shrugged and replied "I told him to come over tomorrow"

"You have three days left Ruthie, go over tonight and put the poor guy out of his misery. It's obvious to anyone with eyes how much he is in love with you"

"You think?" She asked, her brown eyes shining brightly.

"I do, now go over there. I'll tell Mom and Dad"

"Thanks Luce" Ruthie said as she got up and hugged her sister before running down the stairs and across the street.

She took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell and waited for someone to come to the door. Martin opened it, a frown on his face before realizing that it was Ruth.

"I thought you didn't want to see me until tomorrow?" He asked her as she bit her lower lip and replied "I changed my mind"

"Oh" he said, staring down at her before she smirked and asked "May I come in or are we going to give my family another free show?"

"Sorry" he apologized as he moved aside and allowed her to come inside.

Martin led her to the living room and said "I am really…" but before he was able to say anything at all, Ruth pulled him down beside her and kissed him on the lips.

An hour later she wryly asked "My winter?"

Martin grinned before stating "I didn't write the song, I just thought it fit our situation"

"Oh" she replied smiling slightly as he leaned down to kiss her once more.

"We have a lot of things to talk about" she stated when they pulled apart.

"I know. Why don't we start with the most important thing and then go from there?" he suggested as she looked at him and said "okay"

"Good, the most important thing on my mind is I would like your permission to beat the living daylights out of Paul"

"Are you serious?" she asked laughing before replying "Sorry but I won't give my permission to that"

"Just a thought" Martin replied before turning serious and asking "Will you be my girlfriend?"

Ruth smiled before replying "I thought you would never ask" and leaned over to kiss him once more as Mr. Brewer walked in.

"Well this is a pleasant surprise" he stated happily. Relieved to see his son smiling again and overjoyed because the object of his happiness was Ruth Camden, the girl he loved as though she was his own daughter which hopefully would be sometime in the near future.

"Hi Mr. Brewer, I was just leaving"

"No don't go on my account. I have some ice cream if you would like some?"

"That would be great" she replied happily following him before Martin stopped her and asked "Just to be clear, you did say yes right?"

"Yes I did" she replied smiling and then brightly said "Now all we have to do is tell my parents tomorrow and then everyone else"

"Your parents and everyone else?" he asked before taking a deep breath and closing his eyes.

"It will be okay, the hard part is over"

"Which was?" he asked smirking at her.

"Getting me to say yes"

"Actually sweetie, that was the easy part" and as Ruth punched his arm he grabbed it saying "Ouch, I was kidding"

"Oh. Sorry" she replied sheepishly before standing on her tiptoes and kissing his cheek and then whispering "let's get some ice cream".

Martin nodded his agreement and as she followed him in the kitchen she took a deep breath. Maybe she would tell him tomorrow about Scotland , why ruin it tonight?

_What do you think? I had to use the song because it was perfect for them. Please review!_


End file.
